Roger Clemens vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roger Clemens played 1984–2007 as a pitcher; Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Roger Clemens (1984–2007) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Roger Clemens's 354.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Christy Mathewson's 4,788.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Roger Clemens's 46.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Christy Mathewson's 82,446.
Roger Clemens
Christy Mathewson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1980s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 354 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 188 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 636 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 552 |
| Complete Games | 118 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 46 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 3.12 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Christy Mathewson 146,187 to 82,446 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 4,580, across 24 seasons to 18. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Roger Clemens — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Christy Mathewson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roger Clemens leads in strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Christy Mathewson owns wins, ERA, and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roger Clemens. PIV agrees: Roger Clemens grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roger Clemens and Christy Mathewson careers compare
No season is shared: Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916, Roger Clemens 1984–2007. The two careers are close in length, 709 games for Roger Clemens and 636 for Christy Mathewson across 24 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 4.71 and 1.59 for Christy Mathewson. Both had the same role: Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games); Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games). Complete games (118 to 435) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Christy Mathewson's 1.06 beats Roger Clemens's 1.17.
Roger Clemens vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Roger Clemens in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Roger Clemens's 354.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.